Olivia strode quickly to her room, slamming the door with frustrated force. She collapsed against the door, sobbing, the pain not only physical in her flushed cheeks but also in her wounded heart.
Seven years ago, Olivia’s life changed drastically when Edward Walton, her father, brought home a woman who was now her stepmother, and her son from her previous marriage. The woman, who only showed her sweet face in Edward’s presence, turned into a cold and uncaring figure when she was alone with Olivia. Their presence has erased every trace of ‘peace’ from Olivia’s life dictionary, replacing it with endless conflict.
Every day, arguments with Edward become an unavoidable ritual. However, this time, Olivia was determined not to succumb to tears. With trembling hands, she erased the traces of sadness from her face. The ringing of her cell phone suddenly broke the silence of her room. The number that appeared on the screen was someone she knew. The voice from the other end revealed in a serious tone, “I have found information about the woman you are looking for. Her name is Emily, and she lives with her stepfather, Fred, a worker at one of the local companies.”
“Stepfather?” Olivia caught the word with deep curiosity. “So, what about her biological parents?”
“Her biological mother abandoned them because she could not endure the excruciating poverty. Emily, since childhood, struggled with a heart defect that required expensive surgery. Her biological father tried his best to save her, but in the end, he had to hand her over to his friend, now her stepfather.”
“So, she grew up without her biological parents?” Olivia confirmed, her voice full of unconcealed curiosity.
“That’s right,” replied the voice on the other end of the line, “But there’s a rumor going around that the death of David Winston, son of the owner of the W company, has something to do with Emily’s biological father.”
“What?” Olivia was shocked to hear the facts she was currently receiving. “So, where is Emily’s biological father now?” asked Olivia, her voice rising with anticipation.
“That’s what I haven’t been able to find. He seems to have disappeared without a trace,” explained the voice on the other end of the line.
“Well, I want you to keep looking into this,” Olivia said and disconnected the line with a firm knock.
“David Winston? Isn’t that Daniel’s father? Daniel’s father’s death has something to do with Emily’s biological father? Does Daniel know about this?” muttered Olivia as she considered her conjecture.
“But if Daniel knew, why would he marry that woman?”
***
On the other hand, Emily had just cleaned herself up before climbing into bed. Suddenly, she recalled all of Daniel’s kindness to her. Unconsciously, a smile spread across her lips.
“Emily,” she quickly patted both her cheeks to wake her up, as if slapping herself back to reality.
“What are you thinking about? Wake up, you dream too much. You just failed to marry Ethan, a man from the common people. And now you’re dreaming of being with Mr. Daniel? Even though you’re going to get married soon, your marriage is just an agreement,” Emily murmured, her voice trembling, reflecting the inner conflict she was feeling.
“I’d better clear my head for a while. If this keeps up, I’m really going to go crazy,” Emily said and took out her cell phone.
As she took out her dead phone, Daniel’s face was reflected in the phone’s mirror.
“He’s so handsome,” Emily muttered. “It wouldn’t hurt me to take a picture of his face, right?” With a pounding heart, Emily then opened the camera of her cell phone, stealing the opportunity to capture this moment. She pressed the camera button, and the shutter sound echoed in the silence. The photo, which captured Daniel’s face with Emily’s expression hidden behind it.
Looking at Daniel’s face in the photo, Emily smiled back to herself.
***
Meanwhile, Daniel sat playing with his cell phone. Suddenly, a notification popped up. It was a message from Emily. With curiosity, he opened the message and found something unexpected, his own photo, taken at the perfect angle.
Daniel then read the message Emily had sent him. ‘I know you really don’t enjoy taking photos. That’s why I took this selfie for you.’
Daniel stared at his phone screen, a faint smile on his lips. In the photo, he was smiling. Daniel then read the message Emily had sent him again. ‘Don’t you look handsome, smiling like that?’
Shortly after, his phone vibrated again, displaying new photos sent by Emily. One was from the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand, where Emily had secretly captured the moment Daniel was enjoying the festival. The other was a photo of the two of them on the observation deck.
Daniel pressed the phone button in a measured motion, his eyes unblinking and his expression remaining unreadable. The phone connected, and Emily’s voice came from the other end. “Hello?”
“What are you doing?” Daniel’s voice sounded cold and firm, with no room for hesitation.
“Sorry, sir. I was just taking a picture of you for fun,” Emily replied, her voice shaking slightly, realizing that she might have crossed the line.
“Don’t mess around,” Daniel said, his voice like ice, warning but restrained.
“Sorry, sir,” Emily said again, this time in a more careful tone.
“My expression in this selfie is too much,” Daniel said in a softer tone.
Hearing Daniel’s words made Emily laugh out loud. “Aren’t you very handsome in that photo? Admit it.”
Daniel sighed, his voice still flat, “Didn’t I tell you that if there are only two of us, call me by name only?”
“Eh?”
“Call me by name only,” Daniel pleaded.
“Yes, sir, uh, I mean Daniel,” Emily said, her voice a mixture of confusion and acceptance.
“Repeat that three times, call me by name three times,” Daniel challenged, his voice still cold but with a hint of play in it.
“What?” Emily was surprised, not understanding why she had to repeat his name like a mantra.
Daniel couldn’t help but smile when he heard Emily’s surprised voice. “Why, you won’t obey?” he teased, his cold voice now hiding behind faint amusement.
Emily bit her lips, thinking to herself, “Fine,” she said.
Emily took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “Daniel,” she said once, her voice still hesitant. She exhaled again, more confidently this time. “Daniel,” she said a second time, and by the third time, she was almost whispering, “Daniel.”
After hearing his name called three times, Daniel felt the corners of his lips lift in a smile he couldn’t contain. He had successfully pranked Emily, his innocent secretary, and it gave him unexpected satisfaction. However, he tried hard to hold back his laughter, not wanting to let Emily hear his true joy.
“Well, prepare for the company anniversary tomorrow,” Daniel said, returning to his usual tone of voice, cold and restrained.
The words fell like a stone on Emily’s heart. With their souls swapped, she now had to take over Daniel’s role as leader. This sudden burden of responsibility made her shoulders feel heavy. However, with a voice full of determination, she replied, “Alright, I understand.”
Daniel added in a calm yet authoritative voice, “At the event, you must also announce our marriage. But you must keep it a secret that the woman I’m marrying is you. Our wedding will be conducted behind closed doors. This is to avoid any conflicts that might occur in the workplace.”
Emily swallowed, feeling the weight of the responsibility that had just been placed on her shoulders. Not only did she have to preside over the company’s anniversary event as Daniel, but now she also had to announce a very private and secret wedding. “Alright, I understand,” she replied, her voice steady despite her heart pounding.
“Em,” Daniel’s voice trailed off, cold but sure.
“Yes?” Emily whispered, barely audible.
“Endure this marriage,” Daniel commanded, his voice firm, emotionless. “In a year, we’ll be divorced. If it’s not with you, maybe grandpa will find another replacement and that’s very inconvenient.”